Gang member gets 65 years to life for Pico Rivera murder

PICO RIVERA - A Pico Rivera man who sports a tattoo on his chest that reconstructs how he killed a gang rival outside a Pico Rivera liquor store in 2004 was sentenced Thursday to 65 years to life in prison.

Rivera 13 gang member Anthony Garcia, 25, smirked as the victim's relatives gave emotional testimony about how the shooting of 23-year-old John Juarez affected their family, prompting a strong admonition from Norwalk Superior Court Judge Thomas McKnew Jr.

"It would appear from your attitude of non-remorse and your smirks...you have sociopathic tendencies. You are a serious, serious danger to society," McKnew told Garcia. "I don't know what thought you've given to your future - you have no real future."

It was an unusual case, prosecutors said, because Garcia's own tattoo helped detectives solve Juarez's Jan. 23, 2004, murder, leading to his conviction. Even veteran detectives called it rare that a suspect would tattoo the crime scene on his chest, Deputy District Attorney Brock Lunsford said.

"I've asked detectives doing this longer than I've been a DA - this is one of a kind," he said.

Juarez was standing near pay phones outside Mr. Ed's Liquor, 6616 Rosemead Blvd., when two men walked up, asked where he was from, then shot him several times.

Garcia's tattoo shows a helicopter shooting a "Mr. Peanut" in front of a liquor store. Investigators said Garcia's gang moniker is "Chopper," and Juarez's gang, Pico Nuevo, is insultingly referred to as "peanuts" by Rivera 13 members.

In 2008, sheriff's homicide Sgt. Kevin Lloyd saw Garcia's tattoo while looking through photos of gang members' tattoos. It reminded him of the crime scene where Juarez was shot, Lloyd testified at Garcia's trial, which ended in his conviction last month.

Michelle Sotelo, Juarez's girlfriend and the mother of his 11-year-old daughter, testified Thursday that the tattoo was the "stupidest" thing Garcia did.

"And for that I thank you," she said, "because without that stupid tattoo, you wouldn't have been caught.

"I won't say I'm sorry," Sotelo added. "I won't say I forgive you, because I don't. It will take me a long, long time."

Gilbert De La Rosa, Juarez's stepfather, said he believed Satan controlled Garcia's actions. De La Rosa said he knew Garcia had once attended church, played sports and hung out with good kids, but the murderer changed in high school.

"To see your actions now, it's hard. It's hard," De La Rosa said. "But I want to say to you, I forgive you. Accept it or reject it, it's up to you."

As well as convicting him of murder, jurors found true the allegations that Juarez intentionally fired the gun causing injury and death to Juarez, used a handgun in the killing and committed the crimes for the benefit of the Rivera 13 gang.

McKnew also ordered Garcia to pay $500 to the victim restitution fund and $3,282 in Juarez's funeral expenses.

A second man charged in the murder, getaway driver Robert Armijo, 28, of Pico Rivera, is scheduled to be sentenced June 16. He pleaded guilty to assault with a firearm and voluntary manslaughter.

Garcia's journey to prison was briefly side-tracked after his sentencing, when the sheriff's inmate bus taking him and 24 other prisoners back to county jail collided with a military bus on the northbound 5 freeway, just south of Washington Boulevard in Commerce.

A SigAlert was issued for about an hour for three northbound lanes.

Garcia and another inmate claimed they were injured, but Garcia refused medical treatment, said Sgt. David Brossoit of the sheriff's Correctional Services Transportation Bureau.

CHP Officer Christian Kracraft said the cause of the crash is under investigation.